1. Field
Embodiments relate to an autonomous cleaner capable of conducting a cleaning according to material quality or condition of a floor surface, and a method of controlling thereof
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, an autonomous cleaner is a cleaning apparatus which automatically cleans an area intended to be cleaned without the control of a user while independently driving in the area to be cleaned by taking in foreign substances such as dust. Such an autonomous cleaner, through various sensors, etc., detects the distance to obstacles such as furniture, office equipment, or a wall within a cleaning area, and cleans the area while driving such that, by using the information detected, a collision with the obstacle may be avoided.
The cleaning of the area using the autonomous cleaner refers to a process of the autonomous cleaner repeatedly conducting a cleaning task while driving according to a pre-established driving pattern.
The area which the autonomous cleaner cleans while driving may not have a uniform material quality or condition, etc. on the surface, and in order to efficiently clean the cleaning area, the driving method or the cleaning strength may be varied according to the material quality or the condition of the floor surface. For example, in a case of a soft floor such as a carpet, since driving resistance is large and more dust is contained in the soft floor when compared with a hard floor such as a wooden floor, the intake force and driving speed of the autonomous cleaner must be increased, and in case of a tile, since a groove is formed at regular intervals, the concentrated dust in the groove must be completely eliminated when the autonomous cleaner passes the groove. In a case when the autonomous cleaner passes an intersection between floor surfaces having different material quality or condition to each other, the entry angle and the driving speed must be controlled differently for the autonomous cleaner to drive smoothly, and not to simultaneously drive on the floor surface having different material quality or condition to each other.
In addition, obstacles such as a raised area, an object having an inclined plane, furniture, etc may exist on the area where the autonomous cleaner cleans while operating. Such obstacles may cause the driving wheels of the autonomous cleaner to become elevated (hereafter called “elevation”) or the autonomous cleaner to be unable to drive as the body of the autonomous cleaner is caught in a narrow space (hereafter called “caught-in”).
A conventional autonomous cleaner is not equipped with a sensor capable of sensing such an elevation or caught-in condition, or a condition when the autonomous cleaner is not able to drive because an elevation or the caught-in condition has already occurred. Instead a conventional autonomous cleaner is at best equipped with a sensor only capable of conducting a very limited function in stopping the operation of the autonomous cleaner by sensing a that the autonomous cleaner is unable to drive, thereby having a problem in driving while avoiding the obstacles before the elevation or the caught-in phenomenon occurs, or in driving by effectively overcoming the obstacles.